Tag Archives: samsung

Samsung announced the Galaxy Note 8.0 today at MWC 2013 and it’s everything we expected it to be. Samsung had a display showing off the Note 8.0 which was spotted prior to the announcement confirming it’s existence and Samsung’s Mobile Head JK Shin even confirmed rumors of the device last month.

The Galaxy Note 8.0 has an 8-inch 1280 by 800 resolution display, a 1.6 GHz Exynos 4 Quad quad core processor with 2GB of RAM, Android 4.1.2, a 5 megapixel camera, and the S-Pen which the Note line is known for. The international version will be able to make and receive phone calls, while the US version will be WiFi only.

Samsung says the phablet will launch in Q2 of this year internationally and they’ve yet to provide a date for a North American launch.

Android 4.2 might be on it’s way to the Galaxy SIII soon as SamMobile has obtained a test version of the update. The software is Android version Android 4.2.1, not 4.2.2 which was recently released, and build number I9300XXUFMB3. The update doesn’t change much visually, although it includes Quick Settings in the notification panel, which admittedly has too many toggles in it, Daydream mode, locks screen widgets, voice commands, more actionable notifications, and probably some other goodies.

SamMobile says 4.2.1 will launch following that of the Galaxy S IV, which will likely be next month. The update will almost definitely take longer to launch in North America due to carrier testing and approval, so we’ll have to see. Check out the source link for downloads and screenshots.

Screenshots reportedly from an upcoming smartwatch by Samsung have leaked. The screenshots say the Galaxy Altius is running AltiusOS beta2 rather than Android and they also say it’s codenamed Samsung-GA7. The smartwatch appears to be on SK Telecom, a major Korean mobile carrier, suggesting it will come with mobile data capabilities. It also has icons for mail, maps, and music, so this might not be just a watch.

It’s possible Samsung could be prepping the Altius for an announcement at Mobile World Congress or they might wait till the Galaxy S IV event. This is an interesting leak especially with the smartwatch rumor mill heating up as of late.

Samsung announced their Q4 2012 earnings today, reporting they’ve made 8.84 trillion won ($8.27 billion) in profit and 56.06 trillion won ($52.04 billion) in revenue. Samsung attributed their massive earnings to the success of their Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II smartphones. The full earnings report is at the source link.

Pictures have leaked today showing the Galaxy Note 8.0 in the wild. Dday.it somehow obtained images of someone using the 8-inch tablet which looks to sport a design reminiscent of the Galaxy S III with the same home button, capacitive buttons, sensor, and camera placement. Not much else can be said other than the tablet itself is pretty much bound to be made official soon.

The Galaxy Note 8.0 is expected to include an 8-inch, 1280 by 700 display, a 1.6 GHz quad-core processor, a 5 megapixel camera, Android 4.2, and S Pen capabilities. You can check out the images at the source link below.

Samsung has started to rollout Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean to the Galaxy S II. The first to receive the update is the I9100 which is the international model. Surprisingly, and as we’ve seen in leaks a couple months ago, the update brings the entire Nature UX found on the Galaxy S III and Note II with the updated home screen, notification panel, water ripple lock screen, and everything else from the S III and Note II. It also includes Google Now, Project Butter, Smart Stay, Popup Play, Direct Call, home screen modes, and a lot more.

What looks to be a press shot of the upcoming Galaxy S IV has been spotted on Picasa (posted by user Desmond Ma) and it seems to have been there since late last month without being noticed. The image shows a slightly taller and less rounded device with the TouchWiz home screen, typical Samsung branding, and a larger, more rectangular home button. Whether it’s legit or not is unknown, but take it with a grain of salt. Keep in mind, several alleged press shots leaked last year for the Galaxy S III and a couple have leaked thus far for the S IV. The image, which can be seen above, has since been removed by the user.

In addition to the image above, more details regarding the Galaxy S IV have leaked. SamMobile says the device is being worked on under the code name “Altius J” with a model number of GT-I9500, will come in black and white, and will supposedly ship during week 16, which is the week of April 15th. Samsung will also be offering a wireless charging dock and back cover to charge the 2600 mAh battery in a more unique way, as seen with the Palm Pre and others.

Samsung’s President of Mobile Communications, JK Shin, recently confirmed that the Galaxy S IV would not be unveiled at MWC next month but rather at a separate event, which is speculated to be held on March 22nd “at Apple’s doorstep” in the US. As a side-note, JK Shin apparently also said the Galaxy Note 8.0 would be announced at MWC.